1. Field of the Invention
The preferred embodiments of the present invention relate, inter alia, to a friction clutch and a vehicle equipped with the friction clutch.
2. Description of Related Art
The following description sets forth the inventor's knowledge of related art and problems therein and should not be construed as an admission of knowledge in the prior art.
Vehicles equipped with a friction clutch and a clutch operator for operating the friction clutch are conventionally known. An example of the clutch operator is a clutch lever of a motorcycle. The friction clutch has a driving-side plate and a driven-side plate. When transmitting a driving force, the driving-side plate and the driven-side plate are pushed against each other. The driving force is transmitted from the driven-side plate to the driving-side plate by the friction force produced between the driving-side plate and the driven-side plate. When disconnecting the transmission of the driving force, the clutch operator is operated so that the driving-side plate and the driven-side plate are separated from each other.
As the vehicle increases in size, the driving force to be transmitted should be increased correspondingly. Therefore, it is necessary to increase the pressing force between the driving-side plate and the driven-side plate. In view of this, a friction clutch provided with centrifugal weights has been proposed in order to assist the pressing force (see, for example, U.S. Patent Application Publication 2004/0238315). In the friction clutch provided with centrifugal weights, the centrifugal weights move radially outward in association with an increase of the engine rotation speed. A portion of the centrifugal force produced in the centrifugal weights is converted into pressing force so that the driving-side plate and the driven-side plate are pressed against each other.
However, the present inventors have found the fact that, in the vehicle provided with a clutch operator and a friction clutch having the centrifugal weights, the movements of the centrifugal weights may be transmitted to the rider through the clutch operator. The present inventors have noticed that improvements in riding feel can be achieved by controlling such sense of movements of the centrifugal weights.
The description herein of advantages and disadvantages of various features, embodiments, methods, and apparatus disclosed in other publications is in no way intended to limit the present invention. For example, certain features of the preferred embodiments of the invention may be capable of overcoming certain disadvantages and/or providing certain advantages, such as, e.g., disadvantages and/or advantages discussed herein, while retaining some or all of the features, embodiments, methods, and apparatus disclosed therein.